Chetana-shakti

Chetana-shakti

चेतना शक्ति, cetanā śakti

The supreme light of consciousness, the power of consciousness. In yogic and tantric texts, Chetana is described as Kundalini-shakti, the goddess, whose face is always directed at Shiva, i.e., the realization of His transcendental will. Among the Naths, the symbol of the Supreme light of consciousness is the sacrificial fire. It is believed that the entire universe and all deities, including Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshvara, arose from the dhuni of Gorakshanath. Gorakshanath himself personifies the original Universe, which is beyond the limits of forms.

In the texts of Kashmiri Shaivism, for example, in Kshemaraja's “Pratyabhijnyahridaya”, Chetana is described as Absolute Consciousness, Power of creation, which is a pulsation of divine light. Shakti, hiding her true nature, restricts herself and descends to an individual consciousness, which is inherent in defilements.

According to Kashmiri Shaivism, the purpose of spiritual practice is the removal of these fetters, illusory covers, and the full disclosure of the luminous nature of a person, his primordial essence, in other words, “raising” the limited individual consciousness to the transcendental level of Chetana.